Calling all wildlife watchers! The Iowa DNR will host two frog and toad call survey training workshops in 2024 There are still several spots available for in-person training in Mitchell and Montgomery Counties. The workshops are for anyone interested in getting involved in Iowa’s Frog and Toad Call Survey, which has been collecting data on our state’s amphibians for over 30 years. Prospective surveyors must attend a training workshop. (See details below)

The Frog and Toad Call Survey has a long tradition, starting in 1991. That was the first year a group of dedicated community scientists learned the frog and toad calls and trooped out into the night to visit wetlands across the state. Over the years, volunteers have collected data on over 2,200 wetlands and provided an incredible record of  frog and toad activity.  Program coordinator Stephanie Shepherd said “It’s rare to have such a broad set of data collected over so many years on ONE species, much less a whole group of vulnerable species.” To get involved with the frog and toad call survey you will need an adventurous spirit and the interest to learn up to 16 frog and toad breeding calls. You can check out a few of those calls in the DNR wildlife sound library.

Interested volunteers should first visit https://www.iowadnr.gov/vwmp and read through the survey requirements to see if it is something you’d have the time for and an interest in You can then see whether there are any survey routes nearby that need a monitor by browsing  the maps of available routes. Surveyors are especially need in Montgomery and Mitchell counties and surrounding counties. If you don’t see an available route near you, creating your own survey route is also an option!

The time commitment for conducting the survey and submitting data is roughly 10 hours total between April and July each year and will require being out after dark for roughly 2 hours during each survey period. Workshops are most appropriate for adults or older children (12+).

Each workshop has limited seats available and a $10.00 fee is required. Registration will close a week prior to the workshops or whenever the workshops have been filled. Direct questions to Stephanie at vwmp@dnr.iowa.gov.

Interested volunteers must attend a training workshop. Register to grab a spot in the workshop today!

IN PERSON:

April 3, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6:30pm to 9:30pm | Montgomery County | Wolfe Nature Center
April 10, 2024 (Wednesday)| 6:30pm – 9:30 pm | Mitchell County | Milton R. Owen Nature Center

There is a $10 fee to cover workshop materials. To learn more about the survey visit the DNR Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program webpage.

(Iowa DNR; Des Moines, Iowa) – Several Iowa state parks are still looking for campground hosts for the 2024 season. If you enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, consider becoming a volunteer campground host and spend your summer in a park! Campground hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living in a free campsite in the park or forest.

Campground host positions available at:

• Backbone
• Clear Lake (May 1 – July 8 and August 1 – October 31, due to renovations that will close the campground in July)
• George Wyth
• Maquoketa Caves
• McIntosh Woods
• Springbrook

Learn more about how to apply on the DNR’s volunteer page.

Or for more information, email or call Elizabeth Thacker: Elizabeth.Thacker@dnr.iowa.gov; phone number (515) 444-9164.

The DNR is also hiring seasonal park aides to work in Iowa state parks and forests this summer. If you have a passion for the outdoors, are looking for an active job and enjoy helping people, consider spending your summer in one of Iowa’s most beautiful natural spaces. Learn more on the DNR’s employment web page or contact a specific state park office to inquire about summer jobs at that location. Come join our team!

Parks needing seasonal employees:

• Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, Lehigh
• Clear Lake State Park, Clear Lake
• Dolliver State Park, Lehigh
• Elk Rock State Park, Knoxville
• Geode State Park, Danville
• Honey Creek State Park, Moravia
• Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, Keosaqua
• Lake Ahquabi State Park, Indianola
• Lake Anita State Park, Anita
• Lake Manawa State Park, Council Bluffs
• Lake of Three Fires State Park, Bedford
• Lake Wapello State Park, Drakesville
• Maquoketa Caves State Park, Maquoketa
• McIntosh State Park, Ventura
• Nine Eagles State Park, Leon
• Springbrook State Park, Guthrie Center
• Walnut Woods State Park, West Des Moines
• Wilson Island State Recreation Area, Missouri Valley

Application deadline is March 31, 2024, or when positions are filled.